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Forest official reports fire‑line repairs complete, seeks public feedback on camping limits at Navajo Lake
Summary
A county‑meeting speaker identified as Nick Lester reported Stoner Mesa fire closures are lifted, Taylor Mesa dozer‑line repairs are finished, and solicited public comment on proposed designated dispersed camping at Navajo Lake; he also proposed pre‑placing dozer lines adjacent to private land ahead of prescribed burns.
Nick Lester, introduced by the board as “Mr. Lester” and referred to in discussion as Nick, told the Dolores County Board of Commissioners that closures related to the Stoner Mesa fire have been lifted and that dozer‑line repairs on Taylor Mesa are complete. “All closures related to that fire have been lifted,” he said, and added the county will likely need additional work on Stoner Mesa next year.
Lester said staff plan an after‑action review with the West Fork Volunteer Fire Department to discuss what went well and what could be improved. He also described plans to pursue a project to place dozer lines adjacent to private lands ahead of prescribed burns and said the team expects to “sign a decision to that probably early December.” He invited the commission to provide feedback on siting the lines and on outreach to affected landowners.
The speaker raised recreational resource concerns near Navajo Lake in the Lizard Head Wilderness, saying the county is seeing “campsite proliferation and degradation” and intends to solicit public feedback this winter on designating specific dispersed camping spots for first‑come, first‑serve use. If adopted, staff said implementation could begin next summer.
Commissioners asked staff to coordinate with emergency management and road and bridge officials on road closures tied to fire management, and to include local stakeholders in after‑action reviews. The board signaled support for coordination with adjacent landowners where legal agreements allow crossing private property for mitigation work.
The meeting closed the agenda item after the board discussed logistics and contact points for follow‑up. The commission did not take a formal vote on any new ordinance or policy at this meeting; the speaker said a formal decision on the dozer‑line project is expected in early December.
